STILL FIGHTING
GALLANT GUERRILLAS NEW ZEALANDERS IN CRETE Sydney, Aug. 8. New Zealand and Australians are among 3000 Allied troops fighting with 30,000 Greek guerrillas in Greek territory, reports the New York correspondent of the “Sydney Sun.” Confirming this, the Greek Minister for Information in the United States, Mr Andre Michalopoulas, added that reports of the fighting smuggled out of Greece revealed the great courage and almost superhuman endurance of those carrying on the struggle. There are five bases of active resistance in Greece and Crete. The first group operates in the Rhodope Range under Major Douras, commanding 6000 men. They hide in caves, live on goats’ milk, cheese and olives, and descend on Bulgarian and German convoys passing through Macedonia and Thrace. Recently they derailed a troop train bound for the Turkish frontier, killing Hundreds of troops. The second band, under Leonidas Papas, is on the slopes of Mount Oeta. This force includes many British. The third group, gathered on Mount Taysetos, includes men from British armies. It recently attacked the seaport of Calamatas and stormed Italian police headquarters, killing the chief of police. The strongest guerrilla force is one of 12.000 men in Crete. It includes 1200 Australians. New Zealanders and British, led by a Greek hero. George Mandakas, whose stronghold is in the White Mountains. Their latest exploit include surprise night attacks on German garrisons at Canea and the Malemi airfield, where they knifed German patrols and blew up ammunition dumps. The Germans are imposing terrible reprisals on Cretans for the guerrilla attacks. They wiped out three villages —Skine, Prasse and Kandanos. Only poles flying the swastika mark the sites of these villages.
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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 2
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276STILL FIGHTING Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 2
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